Did I just yell at Jesus??

*The following is a repost from 2011. 
Thank you for reading and for sharing with others.

Today was one of those really cool days in Children's Church. I walked in without a lesson, planning on just using the video lesson that was provided. I don't like doing this since I know there is something "fresh" that God wants to say to the children. But this had been a hectic week and I had nothing. Zip. Nada. Nothing. Then it happened.
One of the younger children came over to me to tell me another older child and her friend had been "mean" to her, so I went to investigate. What happened next was...well, I just sat and listened as God guided me on what to say.
I sat down and told the little girls I didn't know what had just happened, but I had a question for them. I wondered would they have just done or said whatever it was if they had been talking to Jesus instead of the other little girl. Big blue eyes stared back at me as they shook their heads "no." I said, "Well, you know that when you are mean to someone else, it's just like being mean to Jesus." There is was - today's lesson.
A little while later, as I stood to teach, I talked to the children about the things we say and do. When we are mean to the kid in school that smells bad, we're being mean to Jesus. When we talk about someone and say unkind things, it's like saying unkind things about Jesus. When we only play with our friends and won't let others in, it's like shutting out Jesus. When we are disrespectful to our parents or a teacher, it's like being disrespectful to Jesus. Even when we fight with our brother or sister, it's like fighting with Jesus! Eyes were big as each child sat soaking it in...I know they were because they were actually quiet for a change.
That's when God started speaking to my heart as well...He never just lets me share without stepping on my toes a bit in the process. When I get angry at the driver in front of me and yell, "What an idiot!", it's like calling Jesus an idiot! Whoa! Yelling at that crazy driver is like yelling at Jesus? Pretty much.... and when I get frustrated with a co-worker and come home complaining to my husband, it's like complaining about Jesus. When I judge others - it's like judging Jesus. Okay, I'm stopping now because I know you have the idea and I'm afraid I may reveal a bit too much about my character!
Then came my favorite part of any message - the part that brings hope. I asked how many had just realized they had done something that week that was unkind and now realized they had done that to Jesus. Hands went up everywhere, including mine. I told the children that no matter what we had done, God has promised to forgive us and cast our sin into the sea of forgetfulness. The analogy I used was that it was like taking a penny and tossing it over the side of a cruise ship that was in the deepest ocean. I asked if they thought they could find that penny. Of course they couldn't...and God has promised that He won't even look for it again. It is gone. One of the children asked, "But what if we do it again?" Of course the answer is, He will forgive us again and hopefully we'll learn and we'll find that we are "doing it again" less and less.
With that, we prayed and asked forgiveness, saying we were sorry for sinning against God and thanked Him for His forgiveness. It was such a simple lesson, but one that I truly believe will make a difference in their lives....I know it will make a difference in mine.
I've thought about that lesson all day because I have a feeling it's one that I will have ample opportunity to practice this week. Like the kids, I may mess up again, but I know that my Father forgives me and I can start over once again. Oh, and once again I am so thankful that God provided the "meal" when I came up empty handed.
Hope you have a blessed week...and remember - don't yell at Jesus.

Matthew 25:40

The Message (MSG)

^37-40"Then those 'sheep' are going to say, 'Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?' Then the King will say, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.'

Football cleats, manure piles, and life...

*I just discovered that one of my devotionals will appear in the upcoming book Run For God Devotionals, due out in November. Thank you for your constant encouragement and thank you for reading!!!
*The following is a re-post from 2011.

I walked into the kitchen this morning to be greeted by the unmistakeable stench of my son's football cleats. We had put them into the washroom, but the smell had crept out under the door and now was working to permeate the rest of the house. Ugh! This is an aroma that I think must be a mix between Pepe' Le Peu and a dead rodent. Think of how bad they said "Sweet Feet's" shoes (from the movie Holes) must have smelled. Yeah, that bad.
Honestly, I'm beginning to wonder if they are out there playing on grass at all. It really smells more like they have wading in manure as opposed to walking in green pastures! (Maybe they have been doing a lot of fertilizing lately....but that's a random thought for another time.) Still, even though the smell is awful, it's not about to stop my son from playing the game he loves....and there we find today's random thought.
I've decided that life is full of manure piles, things that just stink up the place. I'm not talking about major difficulties, but those daily difficulties that you find yourself stepping right in and then having to deal with the stench for the rest of the day. The smell follows you, and you may try to rub it off, but the fragrance remains. The question is, what are you gonna do about it?
I know what WON'T happen....there is no way my son will quit playing what he loves because of some stupid smell. He will tie those shoes right back on the next day, even if they do smell like a dead animal has been stored there overnight. He will play each play with the fury and enthusiasm of a professional whose life depends on the next win. And, since he plays with lots of others, he'll probably ignore the smell from his own feet but notice that on the feet of those around him. After all, he's gotten used to HIS shoes.
Thankfully, my son has the good sense to look to me for help. I'm learning how to clean up the stinks of life, at least in the shoe department. We'll take those shoes and wash them, air them out, and do whatever it takes so that he can have "sweet feet" out there on the field. I'm learning too and as life hands me those "manure piles" I take them to my Father who washes my feet so that they can once again carry the good news WITHOUT the stench of life's manure piles.
There are lots of things in life that qualify as major tackles - something that takes you off your feet for a while, but most things really do qualify more as manure piles. We run right through them, sometimes even without realizing it, and keep on playing. Of course we do...we love life and we're not about to let something minor sideline us...but after a while the stench just becomes too much. Some people try changing cleats (churches) hoping that will fix their problems but before long they find that things stink there as well. Some try to "wipe off" the smell onto someone else, like that's going to work! They just manage to make ANOTHER stinky problem, not solve the one they have! Some, sadly, just take off their cleats and leave the game completely deciding that there is no other way to handle the "piles" the devil keeps throwing their way.
I'm still learning to go to my Father QUICKLY....after every practice and game, but thankfully I am learning. There are times when I "step in it" early on in the day and then can't seem to find the time to "clean things off" before having to go on and deal with people. I don't want to carry that with me into each day. I want people to say, "Blessed at the feet of those who bring good news", not "Here comes old stinky feet again." The faster I go to Him, the better off I'll be - and maybe that smell won't seep into every crevice of my life. (Okay, I admit that yesterday I ran through a BIG pile and managed to spred it to a few others instead of first taking it to God....I did say I was LEARNING!!)
I know that in this life I WILL face difficulties...it will happen whether I serve God or not...but those "piles" will not cause me to quit serving the One I love. 
So there you have it....football cleats, manure piles (even if they do look like grass), and the game of life. I plan to get the stink out and get back into the game!

John 16:33 (NIV)

 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Isaiah 52:7 How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, "Your God reigns!"

John 13 - Jesus Washes His Disciples’ Feet

^{1  1} It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.

² The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. ³ Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; ⁴ so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. ⁵ After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

(I encourage you to read the entire passage of John 13...you may never look at feet the same again!)

I am a football mom...

*The following is a re-post from this time last year. In case you wonder, I'm still a "clueless" football mom...but I yell just the same. When I watch my son play, I feel JOY because I know he loves this game!

It is my favorite time of the year because, simply put, I am a football mom. 

Maybe a more accurate description would be that I am a CLUELESS football mom. Try as I will, I cannot seem to understand the game. The other day my son was chattering away after practice trying to tell me that Willie wasn't working or something and they'd had to redo some plays. After about 5 minutes he looked at me and said, "You haven't got a clue what I'm talking about, do you?"

"Well, once I figured out that Willie wasn't some new kid on the team, I started to sift through the information a bit." Yeah, I'm clueless. (I now know that is the weak-side linebacker...I'm learning.)

Being clueless doesn't keep me from enjoying the game, however. In fact, my son told me he met a friend's mom and she said she knew me. I said, "She does?" 

"Yeah, she asked weren't you that mom that yells at the games. I told her, yeah...that was you." 
I guess I stand out.

I do love watching my son and his friends play. In fact, we went to see my son's team versus one of his best friends' this past Friday night. Later on they were spending time together. During the evening, his buddy asked if I'd enjoyed the game. I paused and answered truthfully, "I'd have enjoyed it more if you two had gotten to play more."

You see, we had won 38-0, but since both boys are only sophomores, they didn't play all that much this weekend. It was fun to jump up and yell, but not nearly as much fun as it would have been if I had been yelling for them. It occurred to me at that moment that I don't love winning nearly as much as I enjoy watching them play the game they love.

That's when it hit me. I wonder if that's not a little how God feels when He watches us doing what we love....what He created us to do. It doesn't matter if we're the best there ever was, or even if we make mistakes. He doesn't really care who wins or loses the game, He simply loves watching the joy on our faces when we are doing what He created us to do. God delights in us.

Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV)

The Lord your God is with you,
    the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you;
    in his love he will no longer rebuke you,
    but will rejoice over you with singing.”

It says that God delights over us and sings....or maybe, just maybe, He yells like this mom shouting "GO! GO! GO! That's MY tiny baby boy out there!" It doesn't matter if we "win" or "lose", He just loves watching us doing what He created us to do. God delights in YOU. 

If that doesn't make you want to go out there and "play" your best, I don't know what else will. 

Have a blessed week, my friends....and occasionally take a moment to stop and realize, you are loved by God. He's cheering for you!

 

*Note: While I do not believe we should take our relationship with God too casually, I do think He delights in seeing His children operating in the gifts He gives them. We are created for a purpose, God's purpose, and in that we will find true joy!

looking for a word of comfort and got an uncomfortable word...

*The following is a repost from 2010. (Sometimes I need to remind myself of what God shows me....and this is no exception.) 
I often get a picture of the life or results I want, but I'm not really willing to put the time into making this happen.
 

If you read yesterday's blog you know I went to a race today determined to "leave it all on the field" so to speak. Well, I didn't leave it ALL on the field, but I almost left my breakfast at a couple of the hills. I'd love to brag and say I ran a good race, but the truth is I did not. I was passed by quite a few people, including one who was walking the course! 

As a matter of fact, some of those who passed me I knew for a fact had only been running a few months! I was so mad at myself and I looked to God for some comfort. You know what I mean...I wanted to feel that encouragement that comes when you remember a verse or two that helps lift you up. Instead, I kept remembering the story of Cain and Abel from Genesis 4. In case you don't have your Bible handy, here's the text: Abel was a herdsman and Cain a farmer. 3-5 Time passed. Cain brought an offering to God from the produce of his farm. Abel also brought an offering, but from the firstborn animals of his herd, choice cuts of meat. God liked Abel and his offering, but Cain and his offering didn't get his approval. Cain lost his temper and went into a sulk. 6-7 God spoke to Cain: "Why this tantrum? Why the sulking? If you do well, won't you be accepted? And if you don't do well, sin is lying in wait for you, ready to pounce; it's out to get you, you've got to master it."
Okay, I wanted an "It's okay, you did your best..." and what I got was a "Don't go pouting because they worked harder than you!" 

The truth is, I haven't been putting the work into my running like I once did. Those who passed me, some had only just started running, but they were faithfully training. They were prepared for the race. I simply was not. I could try to find excuses, but it really boils down to the fact that I just had not done the work necessary to do well in this race. When they were training, I was complaining...too hot, too tired, too busy.

I find I do this in life as well. People who have been Christians less time than me, or who are younger than me - it's tempting to sulk and cry out that they seem to be walking more in faith than me...that they seem to have an excitement about the things of God that has grown cold inside me. I can almost hear God saying to me, "Why the sulking? If you do well, won't you be accepted?" 

I'm not saying anything about salvation by works by the way. What I'm talking about is realizing that as long as I'm on this earth, I've got to be training. It's easy to let my Bible study slide because of a heavy work load. It's easy to not take the time for prayer and praise because I'm tired. Yes, I can do that and I'll get pretty much the same kind of result I got in today's race - pitiful. Or, I can prepare so that when the races come, I am ready to run.
So now what? Well, I guess I can keep making excuses and finding reasons NOT to train. I can quit running races....neither of these sound like an option I really want. Instead, I think I'll take to heart the second part of that verse: "Why the sulking? If you do well, won't you be accepted? And if you don't do well, sin is lying in wait for you, ready to pounce; it's out to get you, you've got to master it." 
 
I can keep making excuses and hope to get a "that's okay", or I can do well and find the victory I'm looking for. I may have been looking for a word of comfort, but I got an uncomfortable word....and that may make the difference in the future.

I love a sappy movie....

*The following is a repost from 2010...and for some reason it fits today just like it did 4 years ago. God doesn't call us to do more than we can, just more than we think we can.

I admit it. I'm a sucker for a happy ending, for a feel good story that makes me tear up and believe in something more. I want to be inspired. I think most of us do.

Tonight I sat down and looked for something to watch on tv before going to bed and Facing the Giants was on. I just happened to turn it on at the part where Brock is carrying the kid on his back to what he thinks is the 50 yard line. Those who've seen the movie know he doesn't just make it to the 50....he makes it all the way to the end zone. He'd not only done what he thought he could do....he'd done more than he ever thought he could.

I remember the first time I saw this movie...it was the night before a race and the next day as I ran, I thought about that scene over and over again. I was determined to leave nothing on the field but to give it all I had. I ran one of my fastest times that day....faster than I'd ever imagined I would run and it felt good!

Funny thing is, I have a race tomorrow, too. I know that physically it is in me to run, but my mind doesn't always believe. It quits long before my legs give out....and I wonder how many of life's other races I've quit in because I don't think I have it in me.

It occurs to me that God never calls us to do more than we can...simply more than we think we can. When we are weak, then He is strong. We are surrounded by such a great crowd of witnesses yelling for us and cheering and telling us we can go on...we just have to keep going on.

Yes, it's a sappy movie, but I like sappy movies. I like to be inspired. I like to be reminded that greater is He that is in me than He that is in the world. I like to be encouraged to give it everything I've got and leave nothing on the field.

Don't know if I'll run fast in tomorrow's race, but I will give it all I've got. God hasn't called me to do anything more than I can....simply more than I think I can. And if it takes a sappy movie to remind me of that, that's not such a bad thing.

He saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our own accomplishments, but according to his own purpose and the grace that was given to us in the Messiah Jesus before time began. 2 Tim. 1:9

Run to God.....

Note: The following is a repost from September 4, 2011.

Today was a different sort of Sunday. Tornado warning sirens kept me from jumping in the shower and then a fresh wave of rain dumped on me when I finally did manage to get ready and brave the elements to get to church. Once there, we had a shortened service due to the incoming storm. Simply worship and communion - but that was enough for God to speak something to my heart.

As we worshipped, I got this mental image of Jesus standing there and me running to Him - knowing I had done wrong but wanting nothing more than to bury my face in His robes and feel him wrap His arms around me in a loving embrace. I was overwhelmed with the desire to confess to Him all that I had done wrong, knowing it was against Him that I had sinned...and yet He still forgives. My desire to be close to Him was so much greater than my guilt and fear - I wanted nothing to stand in my way of being with Him.

I got to thinking about how much I want to discipline and correct my children the same way Christ disciplines me. It is natural to want to run and hide from authority when we know we have done wrong. You only have to look at Adam and Eve to find an example of this, yet running away and hiding is exactly what we do NOT need to do. When we run TO Christ, we find forgiveness and a new start....AGAIN! I emphasize "again" because I find I have to do this over and over. ( I wonder what would have happened if instead of playing the blame game, Adam and Eve would have run to their Father God for forgiveness?)

I want to not only remember to run to Christ, I want to learn to walk in forgiveness LIKE Christ. Even if the person who has wronged me doesn't ask or receive the forgiveness, it is there...waiting for them. Change me, Lord, to be more like You.

I also want to instill in my children this picture of forgiveness. I want to help them realize that when they run to me, they can FEEL the release. I want them to crave that more than they fear the consequences of their actions. Knowing that I am just the parent God has placed here on earth, I want them to run not just to me, but to Christ. There they will find complete forgiveness and freedom.

For my children and myself, I want to remember that when I run to Him, He can calm the storm that rages inside of me. I do not need to cower or be afraid - He is waiting with open arms to welcome me and heal the damage I have done.

Not bad for a short service.

Genesis 3:8 - 13 (Message translation)
"When they heard the sound of God strolling in the garden in the evening breeze, the Man and his Wife hid in the trees of the garden, hid from God.
⁹ God called to the Man: "Where are you?"
¹⁰ He said, "I heard you in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked. And I hid."
¹¹ God said, "Who told you you were naked? Did you eat from that tree I told you not to eat from?"
¹² The Man said, "The Woman you gave me as a companion, she gave me fruit from the tree, and, yes, I ate it."
God said to the Woman, "What is this that you've done?"
¹³ "The serpent seduced me," she said, "and I ate."

Psalm 37:39-40
³⁹ The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD;
he is their stronghold in time of trouble.
⁴⁰ The LORD helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him.

Correction for whose sake.....

I am "re-visiting" some blogs from past years. I find when I read them, it helps me remember what God was showing me that I need some "reminding" on. For those who, like me, need to read things more than once - thanks for stopping by!

"That's it! I've had enough!" Ever said something along those lines when having to discipline your children?  I know I have and I'm starting to realize how out of line that has been! Since when is discipline an issue of the fact that I'VE had enough? Who am I supposed to be correcting?
I've been thinking about how God corrects and disciplines me. He doesn't let me go on and on until He's good and mad and about to blow. He corrects me for ME....because He loves me. Let that sink in a moment. He corrects me because He wants me to be mature, solid, strong, successful and most of all loving. He wants the character in HIM to be in ME. I'm pretty sure when I lose it with my kids the last thing on my mind is having the character of me in them.
Discipline and correction are acts of love, not exasperation. That will change the whole tone and action of my discipline if I understand this. When I correct, it won't be because I'm exhausted (although I often am), and it won't be because I'm embarrassed by their behavior (although I often am). When I correct, it will be out of love for them. According to 1 Corinthians 13, "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." This sounds like a pretty good way to approach correction my own children and those in my care.
Maybe we should look at some of the problems in our country right now as a result of a lack of love. If we truly love those around us, it doesn't make us soft and easily walked over. Love makes us strong because it is TOUGH to stand firm and say no sometimes. It shows love to deny the every passing demand of a child because we look not at their present desires but forward to what is best for them.
I know I will make mistakes in this....I am not God. Still, I want to look at the things I do for and with my children with their future in mind. I look for ways to say "yes" to them, but I also look for ways to help them learn from their mistakes....just like God does for me.
Loving correction isn't done for me....it's not because I've "had enough" of their bad behavior. It is done for them that they might have life and have it abundantly. That makes firm correction a lot easier to both give and receive. I'm actually not handing out "punishment", I'm handing out "love." What a difference that makes. (Not sure my children will see it that way, but children often don't see things clearly until they have grown and matured....which is my goal in the process.) I am not here for my children's comfort. I am here for their character, and that may mean they feel some "discomfort" along the way.
Wish I could say I will never again correct out of my need for peace and quiet, but I know that probably I will slip and say "I've had enough...." Still, I'm making progress. My Father has been correcting my way of thinking. He corrected me out of His unfailing love to see me mature and to care for His children.
Who says you can't teach an old gal new tricks? I'm holding on to this one because I see the difference it makes in me and those around me. Don't think I'll ever really get "enough" of that.
Proverbs 3:11-12 (Message) "But don't, dear friend, resent God's discipline;
don't sulk under his loving correction.
It's the child he loves that God corrects;
a father's delight is behind all this."

Hebrews 12:4-11 The Message (MSG)

^4-11"In this all-out match against sin, others have suffered far worse than you, to say nothing of what Jesus went through—all that bloodshed! So don't feel sorry for yourselves. Or have you forgotten how good parents treat children, and that God regards you as his children?
My dear child, don't shrug off God's discipline,
but don't be crushed by it either.
It's the child he loves that he disciplines;
the child he embraces, he also corrects. God is educating you; that's why you must never drop out. He's treating you as dear children. This trouble you're in isn't punishment; it's training, the normal experience of children. Only irresponsible parents leave children to fend for themselves. Would you prefer an irresponsible God? We respect our own parents for training and not spoiling us, so why not embrace God's training so we can truly live? While we were children, our parents did what seemed best to them. But God is doing what is best for us, training us to live God's holy best. At the time, discipline isn't much fun. It always feels like it's going against the grain. Later, of course, it pays off handsomely, for it's the well-trained who find themselves mature in their relationship with God."